rolloman

Just came back from the Spring Break 8 night to Aruba. I think there have been plenty of reviews about this relatively new ship but I would like to present a few of my thoughts. This particular sailing set a ship record for the number of passengers, and it certainly felt like it. Two thumbs down- the elevators...whoever came up with the bright idea of touchless floor selection buttons on a cruise ship should be fired immediately. These buttons are so sensitive that if you came within 3 inches of the panel it would light it up like a Christmas tree and then you were headed to every floor. The concept may work fine if you have 2-3 guests... but on an overcrowded ship...absolutely horrible. In addition, countless times, the elevator would just sit there trying to figure out what to do...prompting people to get off thinking it was broke. Continuing with two thumbs down- The Casino. Since this ship was originally set to go the Asia route and then did a Covid re-route... most of the slot machines onboard are marketed towards passengers from that area. A lot of the machines normally found on other ships were not present. Outside of a small spattering of hand-pays, these machines were cold as ice...the worst I have witnessed in 30 years of cruising. Rooms are smaller, our balcony room had less space and overall storage was at a premium. The two biggest storage areas are above the bed...not what I consider to be a place which can easily be accessed. Dining- We had early seating... like real early...like are you kidding me early...5:00pm... what happened to 6pm....or the super early 5:30pm? I can only imagine this is another ploy to push even more passengers to go the buffet or specialty route. Even with the now condensed menu the dining room staff were overwhelmed. Do not try to use your D+-Pinnacle vouchers in the dining room...good chance you will earn a chance to head to guest services to get the charge removed. After a couple fails, I proceeded to get my drink before dinner and enter the dining room with it. Ok...now for Two thumbs up-The Sea-Plex, not because of the super-sized Playmakers or the countless events which actively take place throughout each day.... but because of the venue itself. All kids had a place to hang out and interact. This cut-down on the clogged stairwells and mischief normally found on a sailing this time of year. The I-Fly and North Star... both are a really a great experience. They go out of their way to ensure safety and is a must do while onboard. The Diamond lounge is in a super convenient location...fwd. of the ship right off the stairwell on deck 4. These days, I usually never bother to venture in but due to this great location I actually visited a couple times...and no it was never crowded. This cruise was a milestone cruise and on the last day I did receive the crystal block...however, it was not in color as the latest benefit updates suggested. Captain Per is an awesome Captain and goes out of his way to socialize with his passengers. In closing...will I cruise Odyssey again??...probably not...maybe one of its sister ships (if it happens to sail out of Port Canaveral). I like the Oasis class as I find them easier to navigate and have better crowd control. All in my opinion.

Unreal...I never said it was, corporate makes the rules...the ship follows those rules with employees who were trained by corporate ...that is what I said. Now with regards to your other definitive answers...Please substantiate those claims...it certainly would clear up a lot of confusion "if" you can.

You missed the part where I said "under corporate direction" ...You seem to running around offering definitive responses to posters opinions...however at this point they are all unsubstantiated. If you are such an insider...why not back it up with some proof? Oh and Yes...Webinar(s) have taken place in the past and one could very easily take place again with the current hot gratuity topic. Especially if metrics start showing a major uptick of guests heading to Guest Services to remove them.

Here is a better idea...how about Cruise Critic use their connections to create a tipping webinar featuring a Royal Caribbean spokesperson who can field some of these questions. I am confident it would be a highly attended event.

Incorrect. There is no way the finance team onboard (working under the direction of Corporate) has been given zero input of how their system works. The reality is those jobs are trained by Corporate before they are placed onboard a ship.

How could your comment on post 360 be in reference to post 363...now that is funny....

They Don't give free drinks at the Captains Q&A session.

I have not read where anyone is asking what does the crew make. What I have read though is: * What percentage of guests remove the auto-tips? *Does Royal Caribbean keep a portion of the auto-tips? *Do non-guest facing crew receive tips as well ? * If auto tipping is offered only as a convenience, why are passengers not allowed to opt out of auto tipping prior to boarding?

Very simple...as I already stated...go to the Captains (and his officers) Q/A session which occurs on most 5+ night voyages and ask the question. There is no need to inundate the crew with questions. Go straight to the source.

Clearly it is not a Disney reference as you replied to the poster #288...it is called "pixie dust" in Disney vernacular and is used as a term which meaning is to create magic for a guest. Secondly, just for starters... the Captain and his officers onboard do not accept tips...

You are basing your logic on a tiny sample of people who have access to this web site and narrowing it down further...the few commenting on this particular thread? Truth is that the vast majority of people on any given cruise have never heard of this website. Now, I do not dismiss the idea there are some who tip at or above guidelines with cash...however, going by human nature and vast experience in the industry.... those that remove auto tips proceed to tip less than suggested or nothing at all. The logical thinking comes into play as follows...at the end of the cruise, the average cruiser has spent their allotted discretionary cash on souvenirs, drinks and casino leaving zero behind to tip with (even if they wanted to). Again, I agree there are a few Mr. Got Rocks out there who skip down the passageways tossing 5 and 10s in the air...but those types are few and far between. Now to answer your question... Out of my many years of cruising, believe me I have seen a few cabin stewards who did not perform up to standards. I remember on at least one occasion a cabin steward being fired mid-cruise. There is a cruise true crime series with about 40 episodes playing out there on one of the popular apps...a lot of those incidents involve crew members...therefore...yes, of course I think an employee of a cruise line could act inappropriately...there are countless documented cases of it. If someone feels cheated...history has proven anything can happen. Personally, I treat the crew with respect and go out of my way to engage them in a positive manner...I was once a sailor, so I can fully understand what they are going through. Unfortunately, this whole tipping thing, coupled with cheap fares, has evolved into a mess and the losers wind up being the crew.

That's what I thought...unsubstantiated. Anyone out there onboard right now? A simple Q/A at the Captains show should clear this up...of course you will have to get your response notarized and signed by the officer who fields the question... or perhaps of video of the session would suffice. As for me, there is a famous blogger... la lido loca who put out a video on the topic...pretty much falls in line with what I have stated. The room steward, dining staff know. As someone else mentioned...might be a good idea to pack 7 sealed toothbrushes for your next week long cruise if you decide to pull those tips early lol....

Please share your source? I gave a source who says they can (albiet a non-royal cruise line).

What a reach... anyway....sorry your pancake fetish has resulted in higher prices. Nobody is suggesting stiffing anyone...in reality what is being said is due to the economy and a recent rate hike in auto gratuities there is a perfect storm being created in which something has to give...and it would only make sense auto gratuities will suffer a higher percentage of passengers removing them.

You are going way out there...Cooks, Laundry...are not in line for the auto gratuity. You can think what you want...but the fact is the room steward and your wait staff know if you removed the tips. They can log in and look it up for themselves. Next time you are on a cruise...ask your room steward. I am not aware of the average removal rate but to dismiss 10% is naive. As I mentioned before...the removal rate will be on the rise...especially with inflation and the fact the cruise lines are now trying to squeeze more out of each passenger.

It is the same on Royal...

The crew are made aware if the auto gratuity has been removed. They are allowed to check this for themselves. I have been told this several times over the years from crew and recently John Heald Loyalty Ambassador for Carnival replied directly to this specific question by saying YES. In fact they know towards the end of the cruise how much they will receive in total and the first Tuesday after the voyage is completed they are paid the sum. I would therefore suggest if someone wants to remove the tips early on and just pay cash I would complete both steps sooner rather than later during the voyage.

A few more observations. For those that want this thread and all tipping discussion nipped. Quick reminder, this is a message board dedicated to cruising discussions. Tipping is currently a hot topic due to recent rise of auto deductions. In addition, there are several who feel that not only is auto tipping not enough or feel the need for random crew performing non-customer facing duties being further compensated...How about this idea??? How about the cruise line tipping me or rewarding me with a fare reduction for my stellar performance as a passenger? How about tipping me if I report to the pier check- in at my stated boarding pass time? How about tipping me for doing a great job of going to my muster station in a timely manner? How about tipping me for treating the crew respectfully? The list can go on and on...proper use of the snoozing and cruising magnet for my cabin door...washing my hands prior to entering the buffet...following debarkation rules...As you can see with these examples there are a lot of expectations put on passengers and since we live in a tipping frenzy world...maybe I deserve a piece of the action too? It certainly makes as much sense as me roaming the passageways and grabbing a random crew member and begin stuffing dollar bills into his shirt while he on his way to repair the plumbing system.

Please supply information to validate your statement.

With respect to cruising and assuming you actually cruise... when it comes to gratuities, it very much so is your "business". In essence, the cruise lines are putting the onus on the passengers. Sorry for you Viktor and Sanjid...the evil passenger removed the tips...nothing we can do...better luck next time, maybe you need to work on your panhandle technique. Personally, the game is getting old. Pay the crew what they should be paid and raise the price of the cruise if necessary. Quit trying to hide the cost of cruising by using the passengers as pawns. Just my two cents.

Oh boy...personally I have never removed auto tips...probably should have a couple times in the past but that is another story in itself. I do find it annoying for those who are worried the guy in the boiler room should be getting tips from me. The whole premise of tipping is to reward someone who you have encountered during the cruise and who has gone above and beyond to take care of you. Let's face it, I am not privy to who is doing a good job in the boiler room. However, I am well aware of people who personally interact with me throughout the voyage and make my stay a pleasant one. I tip extra to those crew members. Royal needs to pay the guy in the boiler room...in my view I have already paid him via the cost of the cruise. If Royal feels the boiler room guy needs a raise... then Royal needs to raise the price of the cruise. Increasing tips to accommodate an employee raise is abusing the whole premise of tipping. This out-of-control tipping thing is reaching its breaking point. Those of you who think the removal rate is 3 percent lol...not even close...and as time goes by...that removal rate will continue to rise...trust me on that.

Keep in mind, from the ship, you will not see with the naked eye what is depicted in those photos without some type of scope or binoculars. I am confident those pictures were taken with a very nice camera.

No, it should not effect the departure...I was on a recent Independence of the Seas cruise where the rocket lifted off around 12pm and I stood next to the Captain on the Lido deck watching the lift off. So, yes, you will clearly see it.

Pretty small when you bet the minimum...put a healthy bid in and then get back to me.

Lol...it is a race to the click...deal or no deal.